A Tale of Two Brands: Teddy Riley vs. Babyface

Teddy Riley will never forget April 19, 2020. It was the day after what we fans thought would be an epic virtual face-off with fellow R&B legendary producer Babyface. We were getting ready to dance and sing our hearts out the night before to chase the COVID blues away, but laughter wound up being the medicine. The Teddy jokes and memes “broke the internet.”

But this isn’t about “roasting” the king of New Jack Swing, because Teddy redeemed the heck out of himself the night of April 20th going toe-to-toe with Babyface with jam after jam after jam (after "oooh jam") to the delight of over a half million of us fans. To Teddy’s credit, he admitted that he didn’t fully understand the technology of live streaming.

As a personal branding enthusiast, I was fascinated by the difference between the two super producers. Teddy came out that first night with a concert set-up:? musicians, a DJ, sound techs, his keyboard, two microphones, and even a hype man. He was ready to take it back to the club! Babyface, on the other hand, sat alone in his studio just as smooth and chilled out as ever.

It was really?fire and ice chemistry between the two. Yet, there was so much to learn about working within the value of one’s identity. While Teddy tried to do too much the first time, he is who he is. During the course of the make-up “battle,” Teddy referenced taking it back to the club numerous times. I was went there with him, fondly remembering tearing up the floor at college parties and places like New Orleans' Club Whispers and The Bottom Line. Even his love ballads have a big presence and sound. Clearly, Teddy’s brand is big.

Babyface’s brand, on the other hand, is smooth. Known for his love ballads, Babyface's studio was adorned with candles and well-placed Grammys in the background. His music took me back to asking that special lady to dance at parties and clubs. (Side question, do they even play love ballads at clubs anymore?) Babyface's up-tempo cuts are jams, but they tend to be more of the lifted-eyebrow-shoulder-dance variety.

Teddy versus Babyface reminded me that one way to honor your personal brand is by being in the moment. The night of the failed virtual concert, Teddy tried to do it big, but he admitted that he got a bit ahead of himself. One takeaway is that for visionaries like him, there’s a need to take a measured approach to understanding the context and logistics of the moment. At the same time, Babyface reminded us of the power of grace. He could have easily been the jerky celebrity who didn’t “have time for this,” but he gave Teddy space to be Teddy.

Here's the real personal branding jam. Teddy showed that he is adaptable. He went from April 19th laughing stock to April 20th redemption. On Teddy's end, it was just him, a pair of earbuds, and his keyboard; but he still brought the big energy. Teddy even thanked the audience for the memes and jokes.

In the end, both producers’ brands, while very different, met somewhere in the middle; and all of us fans enjoyed every minute of it.